“Let me know if there’s anything I can do!”

“How Can I Help?”

“I’d be happy to help in any way I can!”

“Surely there’s something I can do to help!”

This is just a small sample of how many of you have reached out to us this past week since we shared our current situation with my wife Ashlie and our daughter Piper. Thousands of social media interactions, website visits, and blog comments. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your prayers, kind words, stories of similar cases, flowers, and more. We feel incredibly loved and supported by you. I couldn’t imagine how it might be for a family without this kind of prayer support from friends, family, fans, and even complete strangers.

Many of you have offered to help, and have asked how to help. Thank you for your willingness and loving reaction to serve. But the truth is, there just aren’t very many ways to help. I’ve been responding a lot by saying, “Just letting us know we aren’t alone is plenty.” However, for some of you who really want to DO something, that hasn’t been a satisfying response. My apologies.

This morning Ashlie and I were surprised, shocked, and overwhelmed to learn The University of Notre Dame started a crowdfunding campaign is Ashlie’s name last week to help assist in the weeks of uncertainty to come. At the current time it has already surpassed its goal of $100. We are so incredibly moved by this loving gesture, and we are grateful for our connection and relationship with Notre Dame.

If it is your desire to contribute financially to our family, you are welcome to by following this link to the Notre Dame campaign. You can do it anonymously if you wish.

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/4c78/the-ashlie-fund?utm_source=giveforward&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=donation_notify_oganizer&email=rgonza12%40nd.edu

Please know that most of our needs are being met well. The only real expense to our family at this time is the gas and food from all of the time the boys and I have been spending on the road. Ashlie is in a South Bend hospital 25 miles from our home in Goshen, IN. And although we will not know the impact the medical bills will have until this event is over, we know they will be vast. We do have health coverage, and we are hoping that our insurance will help keep the cost to our family realistic. Our home church is helping to assist in supplying meals to me and the boys when we are home and we have gotten a few gift cards from friends and family that are fun and appreciated greatly. We are doing just fine, but I know that hasn’t been a good enough answer for some of you, and your generosity is humbling.

Thank you for loving us so well and holding our hands through this. We still have a long way to go.

We love you too.

-Cody

Meet Piper.

Piper is my daughter. 

My wife Ashlie and I have 3 children. Our oldest son Charlie turns 5 on Friday, and our youngest son Henry is 3. Piper, is 25 weeks along and is due to be born on July 15th 2015. You may remember this from my announcement around Christmas. We have kept Piper’s name a secret and planned on telling you her name when she was born – as sort of a surprise to accompany the birth news. However we think now is the best time to share her name with you. She could really use your prayers.

Yesterday, Ashlie began experiencing complications and was admitted into the hospital. We have found out that her water has broken a small amount… a leak, if you will, of amniotic fluid that has put her at high risk for early labor. After having consultations with several doctors we have learned a lot about these types of situations and have a pretty clear outlook for what to expect.

Currently, doctors are planning on Ashlie staying in the hospital until she reaches 34 weeks (If she does not go into labor before then.) At that point they feel that labor will be ideal given the situation.  If that all plays out, Piper will be born on May 26th... 6 weeks early. That is what we are praying for. The next 9 weeks are going to present some major challenges for our family. Of course our first priority is giving Piper the best chance to remain inside her mommy’s belly for as long as possible.

We also have started trying to figure how we are going to balance everything else going on in our lives. Charlie is in pre-school, Ashlie is in law school, I’m leading worship, touring, the radio station, etc. We’re going to still try and do as much of it as we can, but we know we have limits.

We consider you all family, and you have supported us so much over the years I’ll try to keep you updated as much as I can. Right now we are taking it day by day. We feel the most out-of-control we have ever felt, and to be honest, we’re pretty scared. But every day Piper stays inside gives her an even better chance, and we are believing that God will protect and strengthen us all until we meet.

Thank you for taking the time to pray for Piper and Ashlie. They are my girls.

-Cody